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They all laughed

Introduction

Gershwin’s first film score after arriving in Hollywood was the Astaire-Rogers Shall we Dance? Among the hits was They all laughed—a song that still packs a punch, even though some of its topical references have now faded into obscurity. (Who is Whitney with his cotton gin—or Fulton and his steam­boat?) The lyrics are by George’s brother Ira.

Recordings

A delicious concoction to delight and startle the ear, where Schoenberg rubs shoulders with Cole Porter, Madeleine Dring with Gershwin, while Jeremy Nicholas’s brilliantly punning pieces prove that the traditions of Flanders & Swann are alive and ...» More

Details

The odds were a hundred to one against me, The world thought the heights were too high to climb, But people from Missouri never incensed me. Oh, I wasn’t a bit concerned, For from history I had learned How many many times the worm had turned.

They all laughed at Christopher Columbus When he said the world was round. They all laughed when Edison recorded sound. They all laughed at Wilbur and his brother When they said that man could fly; They told Marconi Wireless is a phoney. It’s the same old cry.

They laughed at me wanting you; Said I was reaching for the moon. But oh, you came through, Now they’ll have to change their tune. They all said we never could be happy; They laughed at us—and how. But ho ho ho, who’s got the last laugh now?

They all laughed at Rockefeller Centre. Now they’re fighting to get in. They all laughed at Whitney and his cotton gin; They all laughed at Fulton and his steamboat, Hershey and his choc’late bar. Ford and his Lizzie kept the laughers busy— That’s how people are; They laughed at me wanting you— Said I’d be reaching for the moon. But oh—you came through; Now they’ll have to change their tune. They all said we’d never get together, Darling let’s take a bow— But ho ho ho, who’s got the last laugh— He he he, let’s at the past laugh— Ho ho ho, who’s got the last laugh now?

Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)Reproduced by permission of Chappell Music Ltd